give to the
further investigation of new religions; and yet the seed which had been
sown was gradually germinating, so that when after a few months he
found himself again near Great Peace, in a small place where was an
opium refuge, Mr. Fu went in to see the man who was in charge. Although
he had never smoked opium himself, Mr. Fu was on this occasion in
possession of some of the crude drug, and was on his way to the hills to
sell it, and hoped by the transaction to profit considerably. The
Refuge-keeper, seeing he was interested, asked him to share his evening
meal, and when he found out the errand on which his guest was bent, he
told him to sell the opium he had and avoid any further dealings with so
deadly a poison. Mr. Fu was deeply touched by the kindness of this man.
"I have no claim upon him, and yet he treated me as a brother," was his
reflection. From that day Mr. Fu never sold opium again.

He started on his homeward journey, and once more as he walked the
lonely roads he was conscious of the constraining presence of One who
has so often met with men as they travel, walking through the fields,
and inviting them to leave all and follow Him. Thus untrammelled by the
words and requirements of men, Mr. Fu met with his God; but still
questioning, he reached home to find that his wife was dangerously ill.
He went at once to a neighbouring village to fetch a doctor, and found
him unwilling to come until he had taken a dose of opium which was then
due. Finding that all persuasion was useless, Mr. Fu suddenly decided to
go to Hwochow and see if the foreign missionaries, or the Opium
Refuge-keeper there, had any medicine. He walked the twelve miles, and
was directed to the missionaries' house. The decision to go to Hwochow
was made suddenly; not so the resolution to enter the open door of the
house. Perhaps he had been wrong after all! It was serious to so openly
come in contact with foreigners! It might be that the stories he had
heard of their magical powers were correct! And yet his heart had borne
him witness, in that lonely walk, that what he heard in Great Peace was
true.

After walking up and down for some time, unconscious that Goodwill was
watching him from within, he heard some one call and ask him to come in.
The call came at the right moment and he entered, knowing as he did so
that a definite step was being taken and life would never be for him the
same again.

"My wife is ill, and I have come to ask fo